Libertines announced as third Leeds Festival headliners

Tony Harber

The Libertines have tonight been added as the final main stage headliners for this year’s Leeds Festival, taking place at Bramham Park over the August bank holiday.

Pete Doherty’s band have become festival favourites down the years. Rising up through the billing, the legendary troubadours Doherty, Carl Barât, Gary Powell and John Hassall made their main stage debut in 2003 and returned in 2004. The band played to their biggest crowd in 2010 when they famously reunited at Leeds and Reading Festivals and now, for the first time, they will be fully fledged headliners.

With their long awaited new record in the works, their set is expected to be one of the defining moments of Reading and Leeds 2015.

Doherty said: “I’ve just woken up and I can’t stop thinking about playing at Reading and Leeds.”

John Hassall said: “Really excited to be playing Reading and Leeds this year. There is a great vibe in the band and we should be doing some new songs too. So it’ll be the best Reading and Leeds ever!”

Gary Powell said: “We are all extremely happy to be playing Reading and Leeds this year. As Reading and Leeds was the festival that graciously allowed us to perform back in 2010 at our first attempt at reforming, and the audience were amazing in their reception of us, it seems only right that we go back to the scene of the crime and do our best to not only replicate what we did back then - but do better, for the fans and friends we have met along the way.

“Here’s wishing ‘us all’ luck come R&L. We’ve all got a lot of work to do! I for one am excited for the challenge and looking forward to seeing everybody.”

Festival boss Melvin Benn commented: “What a band to announce as our third headliner. The Libertines are part of the Reading and Leeds family and I can’t wait for the boys to walk on to our main stages in their rightful place at the top of the bill.

“It’s almost exactly six months to the festivals and I already can’t wait until August Bank Holiday weekend.”

Benn revealed that the day ticket price was being reduced for this year’s event.

He explained: “Having spent some time reviewing the ticket price and talking to people about it I felt that where we had got to with the day price was too high and once I really examined it decided to go the whole hog and reduce it to £59.50.

“However, anyone thinking it’s a way to get the weekend including camping cheaper will be disappointed. It will not give access to the campsite as I’m creating new entrances for day ticket holders. It’s still great though for those that don’t want to camp.”